I believe it’s looking for the Elements Serial number that should be somewhere on a piece of paper in with all the docs that came with your laptop. You may have to call the laptop people, Adobe wouldn’t know what the number is, it’s an OEM version of the software, supported by the vendor. This happened a lot in the past with the Sony Vaio series, either they left out the number or it was so well hidden no one could find it.
🙂
Brent
I have the same problem, except I know the serial number and it is correct in the registry(regedit) but it still says this. It worked fine beofre I did a clean install of Windows XP Home Edition and now it’s acting up. I have been posting with this problem for quite a while and no one has been able to solve the problem. It is going to take a lot of challenging people to try and figure it out , because of all the suggestions everyone has given so far, none of them are helpful.
try this; use your serial number but change your name to something other than what ya used last time….anything will do.
Do you mean change my name on the box that first appears and asks for certain info? Basically it’s the User Registration box that appears the first time someone opens the program and hasn’t used it yet.Each time I try to start Elements the box appears with User name and in it it is typed Valued Sony Customer, then the next line says orginazation and that has my name in it "Andrea" then the last line is for me to enter my serial number. After entering my serial number that’s when the error message appears could not complete your request because of missing or invalid personalization information. Now remember this program worked fine since the day I got my computer. It wasn’t until recently when I did a clean install of my Windows XP that it is now giving me these errors. Thanks for any future help.
When you first install the program there is a point where it asks for user name,organization, serial #. Change the SONY name to something else, organization does not have to be filled in or just put ‘home’ then put your serial number in.
Hi Jodi, I tried, but it still does the same thing. Thanks for your suggestion.
andrea, did you completely uninstall the program and then try to reinstall it ?
That’s just it the program is obviously on my sony sytem and application recovery cds and after performing a clean install the application cd’s do not run. It’s even on the Sony Pc support web site Knowledge base article 340369. The solution sony gives still doesn’t work because the application cd still doesn’t let me do anything. I can explore the files and I see exactly whats on the disk but when I click on the icons It does nothing. So without that working I cannot uninstall Photoshop because I will not be able to reinstall it. It seems like there is no solution to my situation. I hit a dead end at every solution. I have had so much commotion ever since doing a clean install(which by the way was a complete accident). I did not know what the hell I was doing. I actually put the cd in and did nothing, left it in turned off my computer for the night and the next time I turned it on, the cd ran automatically (seems that’s how you are supposed to do it) and it was all down hill from there. I was trying to repair a program that’s what I thought the recovery cd was, but to my surprise it completely erased my hard drive and formatted it will a clean system. Now, I have tons of problems all the time. It seems like every problem I have the solutions will not apply if you have done a clean install. I wish Adobe would trobleshoot this error, by using a computer with XP and do a clean install on it to see if the error comes up on there computer. I can’t understand what information could be missing. I wish I could somehow copy the program/files to disk, delete the program from my hard drive, insert the disk and reinstall it that way. Thanks Jodi for responding and following up so promptly. I really appreciate you taking the time to try and help figure out what to do. THANKS!!!!
Andrea, when it comes to pc troubleshooting I am nowhere near the ball field. There are a few here that I’m sure could help once they drag their butts out of bed…Ray ? where are you ? He would know…I think. I’m sorry I cannot help you further at this point.
Please hang in there…I’m sure we will get to the bottom of this before the day is over.
Thanks Juergen, but I’ve already read and tried that article. I’ve done everything, and researched every article pertaining to my problem and still nothing. I know I am not the only person with this problem, because I have read all of the forums pertaining to this problem and there are quite a few with the same situation. I am not really sure if or all have solved there problem. The ones who have by reinstalling good for them but I cannot uninstall and/or reinstall. So that solution is out.If anyone can come up with a solution that has not already been given in the gazillions of forums then I would be forever so grateful. Basically I have tried everything. So unless someone has an idea other then all of the ones listed in the forums pertaining to missing or invalid personalization information I will most likely just give up. You know it’s a shame that the companies involved have to make things so difficult. This program is the only program I have that requires all this information in order for it to start. I think that’s ridiculous! They need to come up with another way to prevent pirating(or however you spell it). People spend alot of money on computers and programs not to have to go through this nightmare. I am almost positive I will never use any Adobe products ever again in my life. I have been researching Ulead PhotoImpact and am definitely going to get the program. I downloaded a trial period edition and It is awesome. And no confusing information that has to be perfect in the perfect location to use. That’s saying alot to me as a CONSUMER. Thanks to all that have taken the time to post back. It will take a freakin miracle in order for me to be able to use Photoshop Elements again. Good Day. I have subscribed to all of my posts so I will get an email if someone responds, so I will be back. Thanks again!
Jodi, sorry for jumping in late… I had a party last night… 😉
Ok, let’s see. If I understood correctly, Andrea can’t install (or reinstall) PSE because the installer won’t run from the CD, right? So, what if we copy this installer (and all the PSE folder) from the CD to the hard drive first?
Then, try to install PSE under a different user. Not just the registration thing, the whole installation. Go to Control Panel / Accounts , then create a new account, and log in with this account. Then, using the installer you copied from the CD, install PSE with it. See how it goes from here.
Ray
P.S. Sorry for not being as accurate as before, I’ve been on a Mac now for more than 5 months… It kinds of make you forget about Windows a little.. 😉
How do I copy the installer from cd to hard drive? I’m confused.
Andrea,
Have you tried copying the whole disk to HD, boot into safe mode and attempt install with every other program closed? (I’m ducking in case you already tried this)
Copy the Sony application recovery disk? What is this HD everyone keeps referring to? And how do I copy the whole disk? Is it ok to do something like that? I keep hearing people refer to that as a no no cause of pirating.
Nancy,
I think Andrea’s PSE came preinstalled from Sony. Maybe somebody knows if and how PSE can be recovered and separated from the Sony recovery CD and then be copied to her hard disk?
Juergen
Andrea,
When people say HD they just mean your computers hard disk.
Wendy
Yes Juergen It did come preinstalled on My Sony Vaio PcvRX580 running Microsoft Windows XP.
oh ok I didn’t know if it was some sort of special thing. I have no friends that are into computers so I rarely here computer lingo. Thanks for clarifying Wendy.
Andrea,
Here is Sony’s Knowledge Base dealing with uninstalling and reinstalling bundled software:
http://129.33.22.7/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/?St=876,E=00000 00000299306781,K=6211,Sxi=4,Case=obj(153613),UseTemplate=Case.tem
When it comes to reinstalling, you can click yourself all the way to your model and find the instructions. I did not read everything, but it looks like you should be able to uninstall PSE and then reinstall per their instructions.
Good luck,
Juergen
Hi Juergen, Thanks for taking the time time to research Sony’s Website. After clicking through to get to my model the first thing I got was
this.http://129.33.22.7/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/?St=864,E= 0000000000299353702,K=6211,Sxi=4,Case=obj(153613),UseTemplate=Case.tem
Then after more clicking I got this
<
http://129.33.22.7/SRVS/CGI-BIN/WEBCGI.EXE/,/?St=891,E=00000 00000299354144,K=6211,Sxi=4,Case=obj(153613),UseTemplate=Case.tem>
I have tried this before I believe and when I put the Cd in the CD/DVD drive the disk does nothing, it sounds like it is spinning and trying to run but doesn’t. When I put it in the regular Cd rom drive, I can view the files in Explorer but when clicking on any icon such as the documentinstall.exe program nothing happens. I still cannot figure out why nothing will run after clicking or why it doesn’t run at all in the cd/dvd rom drive. Thanks for looking that info up.
Andrea,
Do not try to change the attribute. Whatever is on the CD Rom is ‘read only’. Is there a file ‘autorun.inf’ on the CD? If so try to double click it. Or, open it and see what file it points to and try to execute that file.
Juergen
Andrea,
A long shot… are you logged in with full Administrator rights?
Juergen
Yes Full administrator rights, I also copied the files from the disk to my hard drive and they still won’t run when I click on them. They say read-only. When I double click on the autorun.inf file this is what comes up
[autorun]
open=install.exe
icon = \bin\sonyinstall.exe, 1
It is the notepad that comes up with that written in it. No icons. Any more suggestions?
Andrea,
On the CD locate ‘install.exe’ and double click on it. That should bring up the Welcome Screen Sony is talking about in their instructions. Now, if this works, you need to go back first and uninstall PSE before you begin to reinstall.
Juergen
nothing works. none of the program icons i click do anything. i even tried changing them from read only and tried clicking and still nothing. i do not understand!
Andrea,
Beats me! It looks like an XP issue. Give Microsoft support a call and see what they have to say. I went through it helping a friend with his PC the other day and it was a rather good experience (on another issue).
Juergen
I’ve already checked Microsoft’s website for any info in its knowledgebase and there is nothing. I’m pretty sure it has to do with it being a clean install, because of all the articles I have read so far on SOny’s website.Microsoft can’t and won’t help because it is a Sony computer and preinstalled with Windows XP, etc, etc. I’ve already tried getting info from them and they refer me back to Sony. Damn Sony.
Andrea,
After some more searching I seem to find several reference to a missing or corrupted ‘config.nt’ file. There is even a mention of this in context with a clean install (a pretty old post, though)… Anyway, check in C:\windows\system32 and look if the file is there. We’ll go from there.
Juergen
Yes I found the config.nt file in a few places.
wrote in message
Yes I found the config.nt file in a few places.
in C:\windows\system32 ?
Yes in C:\windows\system32 and C:\windows\1386 and C:\windows\repair Also I am just now noticing that on all my recovery disks that came with the computer the Number on the cd’s all say PCV-RX500
My computer is a PCV-RX580. Would or does that matter? Coud that be affecting why they don’t run?
Yes in C:\windows\system32 and C:\windows\1386 and C:\windows\repair
Andrea,
Well, so much for that theory. Sorry, I’m out of ideas for now. 🙁 I can’t answer the question about the model number. Sony should be able to help with that one.
Juergen
Andrea, wondering, you should have 2 discs…’recovery CD’ and ‘ Application CD’ ….what is on the application CD ?
I have 1 Driver recovery Cd, 3 cds titled System Recovery Cd 1, 2 and 3(that is used to do a clean install with format) and the application recovery cd 1 and 2. Those are used to either repair or reinstall individual applications. That is the cd that will not do anything when I click on icons.
when i insert the disk and click on it to explore the items that appear on the screen are install.exe, a folder called bin, a folder called image, and the autorun.inf notepad document. and of course clicking on the folders contains stuff too.
Andrea, reading another forum and a fellow told another to put the Application disc into the DVD drive and NOT the CD drive…try it !
When I put it in the dvd drive it makes this weird noise like it is spinning and wants to run but doesn’t. It sounds sick when I put it in there. I found this website article but I am so confused by it.
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http://www.myplc.com/sony/sony_apps.htm>
